The New Zealand O'pen Bic Association is proud to announce it is taking the pledge to support the #CleanSeas "Turn the Tide on Plastic" Campaign.

"This is a fantastic initiative setup by the United Nations Environment program and is an opportunity for us all to do our part in looking after the environment. If we can impart these values to our young sailors we stand a chance of making a real difference," says NZOBA Secretary Di Goodall.

The #CleanSeas-United Nations Environment program is supported strongly by the Volvo Ocean Race with the yacht Turn the Tide on Plastic a competitor in the race. The yachts are expected toarrive in Auckland tomorrow, keep an eye out for Turn the Tide on Plastic, with Kiwi's James Blake and Bianca Cook on board.

For more information about the #CleanSeas and the Turn the Tide on Plastic Campaign, go to www.cleanseas.org.

To fulfil our pledge we will encourage every New Zealand O'pen Bic Sailor to:

• Say No to single use plastic bottles by bringing a refillable water bottle to every Regatta• Say No to plastic straws at home and encouraging our clubs to do the same• Use reusable bags and containers for lunches at every Regatta

We hope that other O'pen Bic Class Associations throughout the world will follow our lead and Take the #Cleanseas Pledge.